Atalanta vs Real Madrid facts

UEFA Champions League Matchday 6 brings a repeat of August's UEFA Super Cup as Atalanta welcome Real Madrid to Bergamo.

Madrid were 2-0 winners in Warsaw in August but the Champions League holders have lost three of their five games in this season's competition, most recently 0-2 at Liverpool; they were also beaten in their previous home game, 1-3 against AC Milan on Matchday 4.

Atalanta are one of three unbeaten teams remaining ahead of the sixth round of league phase fixtures and were 6-1 winners at Young Boys on Matchday 5. They have 11 points but are without a win or a goal at home, sharing goalless draws with both Arsenal and Celtic.

Previous meetings

Matches 3
Atalanta wins 0
Real Madrid wins 3
Draws 0
Atalanta goals 1
Real Madrid goals 6

2020/21 Champions League round of 16
Atalanta 0-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 3-1 Atalanta
Ferland Mendy scored the only goal four minutes from time at the Stadio di Bergamo, the home side having been reduced to ten men by Remo Freuler 17th-minute red card.

Zinédine Zidane's Madrid were also victorious at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano with goals from Karim Benzema (34) and Sergio Ramos (60pen) and, after Luis Muriel (83) reduced the arrears, substitute Marco Asensio (85).

2024 Super Cup
Real Madrid 2-0 Atalanta
The Spanish side claimed a record sixth Super Cup thanks to goals from Federico Valverde (59) and debutant Kylian Mbappé (68) at the Stadion Narodowy on 14 August.

Form guide

Atalanta

Record vs Spanish clubs: W2 D1 L4 F13 A15
Home record vs Spanish clubs: W1 D0 L2

August's Super Cup defeat by Madrid made it four losses in five games (D1) against Spanish sides for Atalanta, who had won their first two, against Valencia in the 2019/20 round of 16 (4-1 h, 4-3 a).

Atalanta have lost both home games since that first-leg win, against Madrid in 2021 and Villarreal (2-3) on Matchday 6 of the 2021/22 Champions League, ending their interest in that season's competition.

Atalanta claimed only the club's second major silverware – and a first top-flight trophy since the 1962/63 Coppa Italia – in 2023/24, defeating German champions Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in Dublin with Ademola Lookman scoring the first final hat-trick in the UEFA Cup/Europa League.

Gianpiero Gasperini's team had won their section ahead of Sporting CP, Sturm Graz and Raków Częstochowa, before edging past Sporting again in the round of 16 (1-1 a, 2-1). They stunned Liverpool in the quarter-finals (3-0 a, 0-1 h) and then got the better of Marseille (1-1 a, 3-0 h) to set up that final triumph.

That means Atalanta are taking part in the Champions League proper for the fourth time – all since 2019 – in 2024/25.

The Serie A side have only one victory in their last nine home Champions League matches (D5 L3) – but won four of their six home Europa League matches in 2023/24 (D1 L1).

The Bergamo club were fourth in Serie A last season, their fifth top-four finish in eight seasons.

Real Madrid

Record vs Italian clubs: W46 D11 L27 F139 A101
Away record vs Italian clubs: W12 D8 L18

The Matchday 4 defeat at home to Milan ended Madrid's11-game winning run against Serie A sides overall.

Madrid have won 17 of their last 19 games against Italian clubs, the other exception a 3-1 home defeat by Juventus – who they had beaten 4-1 in the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff – in the 2017/18 quarter-final second leg. Madrid nevertheless squeezed through having won 3-0 in Turin.

The Merengues are on an eight-game winning run away to Italian clubs, most recently a 3-2 victory at Napoli on Matchday 2 last season, since a 2-1 loss at Juventus in the 2014/15 semi-final first leg. Madrid had managed only four victories in their first 30 games away to Italian teams, losing 18.

Madrid claimed their record-extending 15th European Cup in 2023/24 with a 2-0 final victory against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Carlo Ancelotti's side had finished top of their section after winning all six group games for a record-equalling third time. Leipzig were overcome in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 1-1 a) before epic ties against holders Manchester City (3-3 h, 1-1 a, 4-3 pens) and Bayern München (2-2 a, 2-1 h).

Madrid are in the Champions League proper for the 29th time in 2024/25, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97 and have qualified for the knockout rounds in all 28 campaigns.

The Spanish side have lost ten of their last 31 Champions League away games, winning 11. They have been beaten in six of the last 17.

The Merengues claimed their second La Liga championship in three years and 36th overall in 2023/24.

Links and trivia

During Ancelotti's spell in charge of Juventus between 1999 and 2001, Gasperini was a coach in the Bianconeri youth system.

Has played in Spain:
Mario Pašalić (Elche 2014/15)

Have played in Italy:
Brahim Díaz (Milan 2020–23)
Antonio Rüdiger (Roma 2015–17)

Have played together:
Charles De Ketelaere & Brahim Díaz (AC Milan 2022/23)
Davide Zappacosta & Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea 2017–19)
Davide Zappacosta & Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea 2017/18)
Mario Pašalić & Kylian Mbappé (Monaco 2015/16)
Sead Kolašinac & Dani Ceballos (Arsenal 2019–21)

International team-mates:
Mario Pašalić & Luka Modrić (Croatia)
Éderson & Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Militão and Endrick (Brazil)

Charles De Ketelaere and Thibaut Courtois have played together for Belgium.

Dani Carvajal scored in Spain's 3-0 win against Pašalić's Croatia at UEFA EURO 2024.

Luka Modrić was on target for Croatia in the EURO 2024 Matchday 3 game against Mateo Retegui's Italy but the Azzurri equalised in added time to earn a 1-1 draw and eliminate their opponents.

Latest news

Atalanta

Atalanta made it nine successive Serie A wins on Friday thanks to Ademole Lookman's late strike at home to AC Milan that earned a 2-1 victory.

That is Atalanta's joint-longest winning streak in Serie A; they first recorded nine consecutive wins between February and July 2020.

The Bergamo side have the best attacking record in Serie A this season with 38 goals in 15 games.

Mateo Retegui, who was a late substitute on Friday, is the leading scorer in Serie A with 12 goals.

Gianluca Scamacca has been ruled out until 2025 with a knee ligament injury.

Davide Zappacosta has been out with a calf injury since going off at half-time in a 2-1 win against Udinese on 10 November.

Giorgio Scalvini was a late substitute in a 3-1 win at Parma on 23 November, his first appearance of the season 174 days after tearing his cruciate knee ligament.

On 2 December Raoul Bellanova was named in the Serie A 2023/24 Team of the Season at the Gran Galà del Calcio for his performances for Torino.

Real Madrid

Madrid have lost four of their last eight games in all competitions – as many as in their previous 73 matches – winning the others, including Saturday's 3-0 victory at Girona with Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé both on target.

After failing to find the net in his first ten La Liga matches this season, Bellingham has now scored in his last five games.

Mbappé has scored in three of the last four league matches, taking his tally to nine in 15 games. He is Madrid's top scorer, one ahead of Vinícius Júnior.

The Spanish champions were 2-0 winners at home to Getafe on 1 December thanks to goals for Bellingham – a penalty – and Mbappé.

Three days later Carlo Ancelotti's team lost 2-1 to Athletic Club, Mbappé missing a penalty having also failed to convert from the spot against Liverpool.

Vinícius Júnior suffered a hamstring injury in a 3-0 win at Leganés on 24 November and has not played since.

Eduardo Camavinga has been out with a hamstring injury suffered at Liverpool.

Ferland Mendy was taken off late on on Saturday after suffering a thigh strain.

Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal are not expected to play again this season due to cruciate ligament injuries.

David Alaba has been out since December with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.